Latest news with #HikitaloSauna
Business News Wales
7 days ago
- Business
- Business News Wales
Sauna Venture Thrives with Business Wales Support
Business Wales case studyHikitalo Sauna – William Jenkins WALES NEWS SERVICE A Welsh-born entrepreneur, raised in the Netherlands, has turned to Business Wales to help bring the restorative power of Scandinavian-style saunas to the shores of Porthcawl and Rest Bay. William Jenkins launched Hikitalo Sauna in November 2024, bringing a Finnish-inspired wellness retreat to Sandy Bay. The sustainable, custom-built facility was made possible through expert guidance and financial support from Business Wales. Within a year, Hikitalo's popularity has seen it awarded 'Best Waterside Sauna 2025' at the British Sauna Society's Sauna Summit and launch a second location employing seven people in Rest Bay. William's passion for sauna culture began after a demanding career in the fintech industry took a toll on his mental health. The entrepreneur turned to holistic wellbeing practices, finding solace in sauna and heat therapy. Inspired by his transformative experience and the realisation that running his own business would benefit his own mental health, William returned to Wales with a vision to create a company centred on wellness and connection to nature. Recognising the challenges of launching a start up, William approached Business Wales for advice on securing funding and developing his venture. With expert guidance from Business Adviser, Victoria Owens, William was able to navigate the support landscape and explore funding opportunities. Her advice helped him secure a loan from the Development Bank of Wales to invest in a custom-built sauna facility powered by solar lighting and fuelled by locally sourced firewood. As a result, Hikitalo Sauna was able to begin providing both private and communal sessions, allowing visitors to experience the therapeutic interplay of heat and cold exposure, promoting relaxation and wellbeing. William is no stranger to launching his own ventures, having previously appeared on Dragon's Den with an earlier business idea. Reflecting on Business Wales' pivotal role in bringing Hikitalo Sauna to life, William said: 'Business Wales has been a crucial partner in helping me navigate the early stages of setting up my business. From providing access to funding options, to helping me focus on sustainability with green energy and sourcing, their support has been exceptional. 'I've always been entrepreneurial, and after seeing the incredible benefits saunas had on my mental and physical well-being, I knew I wanted to share that with others. I'm extremely grateful to Victoria for helping me to make Hikitalo a reality. This isn't just about creating a place to relax; it's about building community and offering people a space where they can come together, disconnect from the stress of daily life, and focus on their well-being.' To reinforce his commitment to sustainability, William received support from Victoria, enabling him to adopt Business Wales' Green Growth and Equality pledges, ensuring that Hikitalo Sauna's practices and growth align with environmental best practices. Business Wales also provided essential training and a webinar on business development, equipping William with the skills necessary to scale his enterprise effectively. With continued support from Business Wales, William plans to pursue further expansion across Wales to make Nordic wellness traditions more widely accessible, strengthening community wellbeing. Business Wales Business Adviser, Victoria Owen, said: 'Having gone through his own struggles, William's passion for starting up this kind of business shone through from the first time we spoke He has the monopoly on something very niche that is becoming more and more prominent within Wales and I am delighted to see his passion paying off. It was a pleasure to be able to support him on his journey as he works to encourage a healthier lifestyle and to provide community and support to others.' Business Wales is funded by Welsh Government. For more information and support to help your business discover opportunities, and to speak to a specialist advisor, contact Business Wales. Visit or call 03000 6 03000. Rydym yn croesawu galwadau'n Gymraeg – we welcome calls in Welsh.
Wales Online
30-06-2025
- Wales Online
This sandy Welsh beach has a wood-fired sauna with the dreamiest sea view I've ever seen
This sandy Welsh beach has a wood-fired sauna with the dreamiest sea view I've ever seen This authentic Finnish-style wood-fired sauna has one of the best sea views in Wales Set just above the golden sands is an authentic Finnish-style wood-fired sauna with a full panoramic window that beautifully frames the ocean view (Image: Portia Jones ) Wales' craggy coastline is amongst the most beautiful in the world and has a vast range of sandy shores, secluded bays and pebble-strewn beaches with clear waters for swimming. From Pembrokeshire's golden sand beaches and tiny coves to the windswept Llŷn Peninsula and the Vale of Glamorgan's Jurassic coastline, you are truly spoiled for choice. One of my favourite beaches is a sand and rock surfing hub in South Wales. Here, you'll find golden sand, a brilliant beach café, and a sauna with a sea view. Porthcawl's Rest Bay is a popular spot for swimming, surfing, and powerboating and attracts vast numbers of visitors, especially in the busy summer season. The beach is part of a glorious sweep of coastline that runs from Sker Point to Ogmore, with Porthcawl sandwiched between Port Talbot and Ogmore-by-Sea. There's loads of sandy space to stretch out on, though a few rocky patches mean you'll want to watch your toes. If you fancy a wander, you can head off across the Newton Burrows dunes and trek to the mouth of the River Ogmore. From superstar gigs to cosy pubs, find out What's On in Wales by signing up to our newsletter here Rest Bay is a popular surf spot (Image: Wales Online ) Article continues below Porthcawl's links to golf also have a long history. Here, a Cardiff businessman set up a nine-hole course on Locks Common in 1895. Eventually, it moved to its current position, grew into Wales's first 18-hole course, and gained Royal status in 1909. It has since hosted major tournaments, including the Senior Open, where Bernhard Langer won in 2014. By the early 1900s, charabancs and trains were delivering eager day-trippers to the coast, and by the 1960s, Porthcawl was buzzing with surfboards and speedboats. One of the UK's oldest surf clubs was born here in 1969, and the town's strong lifeguard tradition soon followed. Today, Rest Bay is still riding that wave literally and figuratively, with a brand-new watersports centre leading a fresh chapter in its seaside story. I had come to Rest Bay to try one of the shoreline's newest additions, a wellness escape with an enviable view (Image: Portia Jones ) I had come to Rest Bay to try one of the shoreline's newest additions, a wellness escape with an enviable view. Set just above the golden sands is an authentic Finnish-style wood-fired sauna with a full panoramic window that beautifully frames the ocean view. Unwind with pals or newfound friends in the steamy warmth as the waves roll in, the salty air mixing with the distinctive scent of burning wood. It's restorative, social, and distinctly un-British in the best possible way. This is Hikitalo Sauna, the brainchild of William Jenkins, who's helping to bring a touch of Nordic soul to the Welsh coast with bespoke saunas now at two locations, Rest Bay and Sandy Bay. Hikitalo is part of a small but growing sauna movement in Wales, focusing on physical health and deep, meaningful connection with fellow wellness converts. Its origin story is particularly compelling as William's passion for saunas didn't come from a straightforward business plan but from a personal crisis. 'My journey with all this started with a mental breakdown I experienced three years ago,' he tells me. 'I was burnt out, going through a breakup and unhappy with where I was in life, so I decided to hit the road. I went travelling to do a bit of surfing and a bit of soul searching too.' William's path took a meaningful turn in Mexico, the first stop on that healing journey. "I met a Finnish bloke in a sweat lodge I'd signed up for,' he recalls. 'He was a massive inspiration.' Together, the duo explored the local Temazcals, bonding over the shared love of saunas. That unique connection sparked a deeper curiosity, setting him off on a year-and-a-half-long quest through 14 countries, where he visited more than 70 saunas. 'After I experienced all those, I decided to bring it back, back here to south Wales,' he explains. William's path took a meaningful turn in Mexico (Image: Felipe Sabbag ) What started as personal healing has since evolved into a wider mission: building community, creating space for connection, and harnessing the power of heat and stillness to combat the loneliness so many people feel today. And he's done just that. In the spacious, wood-fired sauna, regulars come to sweat and socialise, reflect, and sometimes say nothing. 'The sauna is like a candle that lights another light. We see laughter in there. We see tears, deep conversations, and sometimes we pure stillness. It's magical.' A real Finnish ethos is at play here: less small talk and more shared presence. 'People have mastered the art of feeling connected to one another without even saying a word. Simply being together in the warmth and listening to the gentle hiss of the löyly, that's enough.' In the spacious, wood-fired sauna, regulars come to sweat and socialise, reflect (Image: Felipe Sabbag ) William believes these communal sweat sessions are more than just good for the pores. 'In today's fast-paced world, it's easy to feel disconnected. Loneliness has become a widespread issue, impacting both mental and physical health. Here in Wales, many people are affected by it. At Hikitalo, we see the sauna as a powerful tool to help change that.' It's certainly a beautiful sentiment and one that feels especially timely. Post-Covid, people are craving spaces that feel both communal and personal. Regulars at Hikitalo are already forming friendships. Summer sauna events and full moon gatherings are in the pipeline. Hikitalo's Sandy Bay location in Hi-Tide's Car Park, Porthcawl (Image: Felipe Sabbag ) While the sauna is great for your body, the social warmth tends to linger. William sees it as an antidote to the decline of traditional third spaces like pubs and community halls where people previously came together. 'New people are looking for new social hubs,' he says. 'And I think sauna has become that. It's already proven in Nordic and Eastern European cultures.' At Hikitalo, that sense of connection is palpable. 'A lot of friendships are being made here,' William adds. 'People meet for the first time in the sauna and end up swapping numbers. Next thing you know, they're out for coffee or a beach walk.' While the emotional warmth of sauna culture is undeniable, the physical benefits are just as compelling. Saunas have long been used to relieve aches, ease tension, and support everything from cardiovascular health to stress relief. For many, it's an almost spiritual ritual, an intentional pause in a world that rarely stops spinning, and I'm here for it. I'll be honest. I'm in my sauna era and was peachy keen to try out this ocean-view sweatbox and have a post-sauna sea swim in the frothing waves of the adjacent Bristol Channel. The ocean view is sublime (Image: Portia Jones ) Despite usually rolling my eyes at anything remotely woo-woo (healing crystals, drum circles, energy healing), I'm convinced that saunas are magic. The healing powers of sweating out all my anxieties and most of last night's wine cannot be overstated. For me, it's less about chasing medical claims and more about switching off. Ignoring the relentless ping of emails and WhatsApp groups, I let the heat do its slow, steady work as I stew in my own thoughts and breathe in the earthy tang of scorched wood and rising steam. Naturally, I brought along my ever-obliging husband, who remains deeply unconvinced by the idea of paying to be slowly poached in a shed. 'So… we're voluntarily sitting in a very hot box?' he asked as we stepped inside, radiating the enthusiasm of a man who'd just been told the local pub only serves kombucha now. But even my sweaty beau couldn't deny the epic setting. The ocean was just beyond the glass, waves rolling in under an uncharacteristically blue sky. We sat in blissful silence, with no buzzing phones, no life admin small talk, and, most importantly, no discussion of who would take the bins out later (definitely not me). My mind floated somewhere between a meditative state and a mild panic about whether my mascara was sliding off my face, as I had, of course, forgotten to remove it. Every pore was open for business. I was sweating from places I didn't even know had sweat glands. (Elbows! Who knew?) But I felt something like peace, or possibly dehydration, in that moment. Either way, it worked. I was full of wellness. Even my husband seemed more chilled, seemingly now sold on the benefits after being promised a post-sauna pint in the swish Rest Bay Cafe. So yes, I'm officially a full-blown sauna girlie now, sweaty, serene, and quietly hoping to return soon for more ocean views and post-sweat beach strolls. Maybe even make a few wellness friends along the way. One day, my sauna people will come. The saunas can accommodate up to 10 guests, with 55-minute private or communal sauna sessions for up to ten guests. You can book here Article continues below
